Fraud Alert! - Scam Alias: Anne Fiona

Artists are now common targets of advance fee fraud, also known as the Nigerian letter scam, 419 fraud, or a Nigerian money offer. In January 2007 I got one of these suspicious emails and started looking into the alias of the sender. That’s when I learned many artists are being targeted by advance fee scams.

Now I share my 419 fraud emails here for the benefit of other artists who might be targets of this scheme. I also wrote a response you can use whenever one of these emails lands in your inbox. Since using that standard reply, my scam emails have slowed down to a trickle.

This scammer actually provided a phone number. I guess they're trying to look legitimate any way they can.

From: Fiona Anne [annecalls@yahoo.com]

Sent: Friday, January 12, 2007 12:15 PM

To: anima@artbyanima.com

Subject: INTERESTED IN: Fantasy Art of Women

Hi, i am Anne Fiona, came online trying to get some art designs to furnish my new home in here and luckily enough, was referred to this website and i saw this particular painting of yours. i am a sucker for art materials and this will surely make a good posture in my Living room. see was just moved in here to Nigeria to work with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture www.cgiar.org. and i sure need to feel at home in here.I sure love this artwork. looks so rude and real. came in here from Illinois.sure u know there. well no more stories, I am interested in this art material of yours Fantasy Art of Women . will like to know how to go about it. please mail me back. thanks.

Anne Fiona
Institute's Research Desk/Field trips
+234-8024991623

From: Fiona Anne [annecalls@yahoo.com]

Sent: Saturday, January 13, 2007 10:15 AM

To: anima@artbyanima.com

Subject: RE: INTERESTED IN: Fantasy Art of Women

thanks a lot for you response. Well it's such a long process going through all you listed. I really have little time for that. Do you accept only paypal. I dont use paypal in here but if that's what you use, i will like to have your paypal id and the total sum it is gonna cost me including shipping it down here. Also if i cant get to register with paypal, can u accept a bank cheque? please mail me back with you response

thanks

If you've received a suspiscious email but you're not sure that it's definitely a scam, try this email reply that I wrote in March.

Have you been targeted by the Nigerian email scam? Share it with other artists on this blog or leave a comment.

Labels: fraud and scams